According to the Oxford dictionary, ‘Women’s Rights are the rights, that promote a position of social and legal equality, of women to men’

According to the Oxford dictionary, ‘they are the rights, claimed for the women, equal to those of men, as regards to suffrage that right to vote, as regards to property, etc’.

‘Modernising’, according to the Oxford dictionary means, ‘to make modern, to adapt to modern needs or habits’.

And according to the Webster’s dictionary it means… ‘To make modern, or to give a new character or appearance - e.g., to modernise ones ideas’.

In short, modernising is a process of updating or opting for the betterment of the present status itself - It is not the present modern status itself.

Can we modernise ourselves, to master our problems, and to realize a new way of life, for the whole human race?

I am not concerned about the modern ideas, the conclusions and the categorical statements made by scientists and inexperienced armchair experts, as how a life should be lived by a woman.

I am going to base my conclusions and considerations on truth, which can be proved by experience.

Experience and unbiased factual holistic analysis, are the sure test, between the gold of truth, and the glitter of theory.

We have to check our thinking against reality, otherwise many a times, our mental process will go astray - Indeed the great brains of one time, believed that the world was flat.

Women Rights in Islam

Islam’s radical revolutionary support, gave women their due right and status in the days of ignorance… 1,400 years ago.

Islam’s objective was and continues to be, to modernise our thinking, our living, our seeing, our hearing, our feeling and striving for the women’s upliftment and emancipation in the society.

Before I dwell further with the topic, I would like you to make note of a few points.

Approximately one fifth of the world’s population, consists of Muslims. There are different Muslim societies - Some may be close to Islam, some may be far away from Islam.

The ‘Women’s rights in Islam’ should judged according to the authentic sources, and not what individual Muslims do, or what the Muslim society does.

The authentic sources of Islam, are the Qur’an, which is the word of God, and the authentic Sunnah, and the traditions of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him).

Qur’an will never contradict itself, nor will the authentic Hadith contradict itself… neither will these two authentic sources, contradict each other.

Sometimes the scholars differ, and many a times, these differences can be removed by analyzing the Qur’an as a whole, and not just by quoting one particular Verse. Because if one particular verse of the Qur’an is ambiguous many a times the answer is given somewhere else in the Qur’an - Some people quote one source and neglect all the other sources.

It is the duty of every Muslim, male or female, to seek the pleasure of God, and to act as His trustee on this world, and not to try and gain fame or satisfy one’s own ego.

Islam believes in equality of men and women – ‘Equality’ does not mean ‘identicality’.

In Islam, the role of a man and woman is complimentary, it is not conflicting. It is that of a partnership, it is not contradictory, so as to strive for supremacy.

Islam gave economical rights to the women 1,300 years before the West.

An adult Muslim woman can own, she can dispose or disown any of her property without consulting any one, irrespective whether she is married or she is single.

In 1870, it was the first time in England, that the West recognized the rights of the married woman, where she was allowed to own or dispose any of her property without consultation.

I do agree that the women were given their economical rights 1300 years ago - these are ancient rights - but the question is – ‘are they modernizing or outdated?’

Women on Job:

A women in Islam, if she wishes to work she can work - There is no text in the Qur’an or the authentic Hadith which prevents or makes it prohibited for a woman to do any work, as long as it is not unlawful, as long as it is within the preview of the Islamic Shariah, as long as she maintains her Islamic dress code.

But natural, she cannot take up jobs, which exhibit her beauty and body - Like for example, modeling and film acting, and such kind of jobs.

Many of the professions and jobs which are prohibited for the woman are also prohibited for the man, for example serving alcohol, working in gambling dens, doing any unethical or dishonest business. All these jobs are prohibited for both men and women.

A true Islamic society requires women to take up profession such as doctors.

We do require female Gynecologists, we do require female nurses, we do require female teachers.

But, a woman in Islam has got no financial obligations - The financial obligation is laid on the shoulders of the man in the family - Therefore she need not work for her livelihood.

But in genuine cases, where there are financial crisis in which both the ends do not meet, she has the option of working.

Here too, no one can force her to work - She works out of her own, absolute free will.

Financial Security for Women:

A woman in Islam has been given more financial security, as compared to the man.

As I told you earlier, the financial obligation is not put on her shoulder - It is put on the shoulder of the man in the family. It is the duty of the father or the brother, before she is married and the duty of the husband or the son, after she is married to look after her lodging, boarding, clothing and financial aspects of her.

Compulsory Marital Gift for a Woman:

When she gets married, she is on the receiving end.

She receives a gift - she receives a dower or a marital gift, which is called as ‘Meher’.

And it is mentioned in the Qur’an in Surah Nisa, Ch.4 Verse No.4 which says, ‘Give to the woman in dower, a marital gift’.

For a marriage to solemnize in Islam, ‘Meher’ is compulsory.

But unfortunately in our Muslim society here, we just keep a nominal ‘Meher’ to satisfy the Qur’an, say 151 Rupees, or some people give 786 Rupees and they spend lakhs and lakhs of Rupees on the reception, on the decoration, on the flowers, on the lunch parties, on the dinner parties.

In Islam, there is no lower-limit, nor is there an upper limit for ‘Meher’ - But when a person can spend lakhs of Rupees on the reception, surely the ‘Meher ’ should be much more.

There are various cultures which have crept into the Muslim societies, specially in the Indo-Pak area.

They give a small amount of ‘Meher’ and they expect the wife to give a fridge, to give a T.V set, they expect the wife to give an apartment, to give a car, etc., and a large sum of dowry, depending upon the status of the husband.

If he is a graduate, they may expect 1 lakh - If he is an engineer they may expect 3 lakhs - If he is a doctor they may expect 5 lakhs.

Demanding dowry from the wife, directly or indirectly is prohibited in Islam.

If the parents of the girl give the girl something out of their own free will, it is accepted - But demanding or forcing directly or indirectly, it is prohibited in Islam.

No Financial Liabilities:

If a Woman works, which she does not have to - whatever earning she gets, it is absolutely her property.

She need not spend on the household - if she wants to spend it is her free will.

Irrespective how rich the wife is, it is the duty of the husband to give lodging, boarding, clothing and look after the financial aspects of the wife.

In case of divorce or if a wife gets widowed, she is given financial support for the period of ‘Iddah’ - and if she has children, she is also given child support.

Right to Inherit:

Islam gave the right to the women to inherit, centuries ago.

If you read the Qur’an - in several verses, in Surah Nisa, in Surah Baqarah and in Surah Maidah, it is mentioned that a woman, irrespective she is a wife or she is a mother, or a sister, or a daughter, she has a right to inherit. And it has been fixed by God Almighty in the Qur’an.

Islam prohibits, female infanticide. The killing of female children is forbidden in Islam.

It is mentioned in Surah Taqveem, Ch. 81, Verse No. 8 and 9, ‘when the female child is buried alive and when she questions you, for what crime was she killed’.

Not only female infanticide has been prohibited, all sorts of infanticides has been prohibited in Islam, whether it be a male child or a female child.

It is mention in the Qur’an in Surah A’nam Ch.6, Verse No.151 that, ‘Kill not your children for want of sustenance for it is God that will provide sustenance for you and for children’.

A similar thing is mentioned in Surah Isra, Ch.17 Verse No.31 which says… ‘Kill not your children for want of sustenance, for it is God that will provide sustenance to you and your children, for killing of children is a major sin’.

In the pre-Islamic Arabia, whenever a female child was born mostly she was buried alive.

Alhamdullillah, after the spread of Islam this evil practice has been discontinued.

But unfortunately it still continues in India - According to a BBC report, in the programe assignment the title of which was ‘Let Her Die’, there was a British reporter by the name of Emily Beckenen, who came all the way from Britain to India to give us the statistics of the female infanticide.

In that programe, it gives the statistics, that every day more than 3,000 fetuses are being aborted on being identified that they are females.

If you multiply this figure by the number of days, that is multiplied by 365, you get a figure of more than one million female fetuses are being aborted every year in our country.

And there are big hoarding and posters in states like Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, which says spend 500 Rupees and save 5 lakh Rupees.

What does it mean? - That spend Rupees 500 on medical examination like Aminocententus or Ultra Sonography, and identify the gender of child.

If it is a female you can abort it and you’ll save 5 lakh Rupees - How?

The couple of lakhs you spend on upbringing her and the remaining lakhs of Rupees you spend on giving dowry to the man who will marry her (a custom in India).

According to the report of the Government Hospital of Tamil Nadu – ‘out of every 10 female children that are born, four are put to death’ - No wonder the female population in India is less than the male population.

Female infanticide was continuing in India since centuries - If you analyze the statistics of the 1901 census, for every 1000 males there were 972 females.

According to the 1981 statistics and census, it tells you for every 1000 males you have 934 females.

And the latest statistics of 1991 tells you that for every 1000 males you have 927 females.

You can analyze that the female ratio is dropping every year - And since science and medicine has advanced, it has helped in this evil practice.

Just because Islam tells you that you should not kill any children whether it be male or female will you call these rights in Islam as modernizing or outdated?

Qur’an not only prohibits female infanticide, it rebukes at the thought of you rejoicing at the birth of a male child and getting saddened at the birth of a female child.

In Islam, a daughter should be brought up correctly.

In Islam, there should be no partiality in upbringing of the daughter or the son.

According to a Hadith, ‘In the presence of the Prophet Muhammad, once a man kissed his son and placed him on his lap but did not do the same to his daughter.

The Prophet immediately objected and said that you are unjust - You should have even kissed your daughter and placed her on the other lap’.

All the previous civilizations, they have considered the women to be an ‘instrument of the devil’.

The Qur’an refers to the women as ‘Mohsana’, that is a ‘fortress against the devil’.

And if a woman, who’s good, marries a man, she prevents him from going on the wrong path.

There’s a Hadith in which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) he said that, ‘there is no monasticism in Islam’ .

And again according to Sahih Bukhari, Volume No. 7, Ch. No. 3 Hadith No 4 it says that ‘the Prophet Muhammad ordained the young men, all those who have the means to marry, they should marry - For it will help them to guard their gaze and guard their modesty.

The Qur’an say’s that, ‘We have put love into the hearts of the husband and wife’.

If you read Surah Rum, Ch. 30, Verse No. 21 it says that, ‘And amongst our signs We have created for you mates or companions, so that you may dwell in them in tranquillity and we have put love and mercy between your hearts’.

According to Surah Nisa, Ch.4, Verse No.21, marriage is considered as a strong agreement, a strong contract.

According to Surah Nisa, Ch.4, Verse No.19, it says, ‘You are prohibited to inherit women against their will’ - Means, to marry the permission of both the parties are required.

It is compulsory that the man and women both should agree to marry. No one - not even the father can force their daughter to marry against her wishes.

There’s a Hadith in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 69, which says ‘that a lady she was forced by her father to marry against her wishes’ - And she went to the Prophet and the Prophet invalidated the marriage’.

Another Hadith in Ibn-e-Humbal, Hadith No. 2469, it says ‘that a daughter was forced by her father to get married - And when the daughter approached the Prophet, the Prophet said you can either continue, or if you wish you can invalidate the marriage.

That means, the consent of both the male and the female is required.

In Islam, a women is considered as a homemaker - She is not considered as a housewife, because she is not married to the house.

Many people use terminology, without understanding what it means – ‘Housewife’ means ‘you are the wife of the house’.

So I believe, from now onwards the sisters would prefer calling themselves ‘homemakers’, than ‘house wives’, if they are occupied more in the home.

In Islam, a woman, she is not married to a master that she should be treated like a slave - She is married to it is equal.

And there is a Hadith which says in Ibn-Hambal - Hadith No 736, 7396. It says that, ‘the most perfect of the believers are those that are best in character and behavior, and those that are best to their family and their wives’.

Islam gives equal rights to the man and woman. Qur’an clearly mentions that men and women, husband and wife have equal rights in all aspects, except leadership in the family.

It is mentioned in the Qur’an in Surah Baqarah Ch.2, Verse No.228. It says that, ‘...the women have been given rights similar against them (men) on equitable terms but the men have a degree higher...’.

Most of the Muslims have misunderstood this verse, when it says ‘a men have a degree higher’ - As I said we should analyze the Qur’an as a whole. And its mentioned in Surah Nisa, Ch. 4, Verse No.34 which says, ‘The men are the protectors and maintainers of the women, for God has given one of them more strength than the other and they give them their means’.

People say the word ‘Kawwam’ means, ‘one degree higher in superiority’ - But actually the word ‘Kawwam’ comes from the root word ‘Ikamah’. ‘Ikamah’ means for example ‘when you give the Ikamah before prayers - You stand up’.

So ‘Ikamah’ means to standup - so the word ‘Kawwam’ means one degree higher in responsibility, not one degree higher in superiority.

Even if you read the commentary of ‘Ibne-Kathir’ - He says that the word ‘Kawwam’ means one degree higher in responsibility, not one degree higher in superiority.

And this responsibility, should be carried out by mutual consent of both husband and wife.

It is mentioned in Surah Baqarah, Ch.2, Verse No.187, which says, Which means… ‘Your wives are your garments, and you are their garments’.

What’s the objective of garments - It is used to conceal and to beautify.

The husband and wife, should conceal each others faults, and they should beautify each other - Its a relationship of hands and gloves.

The Qur’an mentions that, ‘even if you do not like your wife, you should treat her kindly’.

It is mentioned in Surah Nisa, Ch.4, Verse No.19, that, ‘...consort with them (your wives) in kindness, for if you hate them it may happen that you hate a thing wherein God has placed much good.

Even if you dislike your wife you have to treat her kindly and with equity

Just because the rights of a wife are equal to those of the husband in Islam, will you call such rights in Islam as modernizing or outdated?

The only thing above respect to Mother, is the worship of God - It is mentioned in:

Ch.17, Verse No.28-29, It says that… ‘God has ordained for you, that you worship none but Him, and to be kind to your parents. And if any one or both of them reach old age do not say a word of contempt or repel them but address them with honour, and speak to them with kindness, and lower your wing of humility and pray to God - ‘My Lord! bless them as they have cherished me in childhood’.

Surah Luqman Ch.31, Verse No.14, says that, ‘We have enjoined on the human beings to be kind to his parents. In travail upon travail, did their mother bore them and in years twain was their weaning’.

A similar thing is repeated again in Surah Ahqaf, Ch.46, Verse No.15, that… ‘We have enjoined on the human beings to be kind to his parents. In pain did their mother bore them and in pain did she give them birth’.

Another Hadith related in Sahih Bukhari in Volume 8, Ch. No. 2 Hadith No. 2, as well as in Sahih-Muslim - It says that a man asked the Prophet Muhammad… ‘Who requires the maximum love and respect and my companionship in this world?

According to the Islamic law, men and women are equal - The Islamic Law protects the life and property of a man and woman both.

If a man murders a woman he too will receive the capital punishment of ‘Kisaas’.

According to the Islamic law of ‘Kisaas’, men and women - irrespective the injury be of the eye, of the nose, of the ear, of the body - both receive equal punishment.

And if the guardian of the murderer, even it be a woman - If she says, that forgive the murderer and she accepts ‘Dia’, that is compensation - her opinion cannot be rejected - they have to accept it.

And if there’s difference of opinion between the relatives of the person whose murdered - And some say that the murderer should be killed and some say that he should be forgiven and ‘Dia’ should be accepted - people should prevent the relatives from killing that murderer.

And irrespective whether the witness or the opinion is given by a man or woman, it has same weight.

According to Surah Maida, Ch.5, Verse No.30 - It says… ‘As to the thief, whether he be man or a woman, cut off his or her hand as a punishment for his crime, an example from God’.

Means, if a person robs, irrespective whether he is a man or a woman his or her hands should be chopped - The punishment is the same.

According to Surah Nur, Ch.24, Verse No.2, it says ‘If any commits fornication, be it a man or a woman, flog them with 100 stripes’.

The punishment for fornication in Islam irrespective whether it is a man or a woman, it is the same - Flogging with 100 stripes.

The punishment for men and women, is the same in Islam.

In Islam a woman is allowed to give witness

Imagine, Islam gave right to a woman to be a witness, 14 centuries ago.

Even now in as late as 1980, the Jewish Rabai, they were considering that whether the women should be given a right to act as a witness or not - And Islam gave that right 1400 years ago.

Accord­ing to Surah Nur, Ch.24, Verse No.4, it is said ‘If any of you put a charge against the chastity of a woman, produce 4 witnesses, and if they falter, flog them with 80 stripes’.

In Islam for a small crime, you require 2 witness - for a big crime you require 4 witnesses.

Accusing a woman falsely is a big crime in Islam, therefore you require 4 witnesses.

Now a days you see in the modern society, you find men abusing women and calling them all sorts of name. They call them prostitutes etc, and nothing is done.

In an Islamic state, if a man calls her a ‘prostitute’ in public or anywhere else, and if she takes that man to court - And if that man cannot produce 4 witnesses or even if he produces 4 witnesses and any one of them falter, all of them will receive 80 lashes each, and in future all their evidence will be rejected.

Islam gives utmost importance to the chastity of the woman.

When a lady marries, she normally adopts the name of her husband.

In Islam she has the option of either keeping her husband’s name, either adopting the name of the husband, or maintaining her maiden name.

And maintaining the maiden name is recommended in Islam - And we find in several Muslim societies that women, even after they get married they maintain their maiden name, because according to the Islamic law men and women are equal.

According to Surah Tawba, Ch.9, Verse No.71, ‘The men and the women they are friends (supporters) of each other’.

Supporters not only Socially - even Politically – Politically, men and women should support each other.

Women can even take part in law making.

And according to the famous Hadith in which Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he was discussing with the Sahabas, and considering putting an upper limit on the ‘Meher ’, since young men were discouraged from getting married - a lady from the back seat she objected and said When the Qur’an says in Surah Nisa Ch.4, Verse No.20 that… ‘you can even give a heap of treasure, a heap of gold in ‘Meher’, when Qur’an puts no limit on ‘Meher’, who is Umar to put a limit (may Allah be pleased with him).

And immediately Hazrat Umar (peace be upon him) said… ‘Umar is wrong and the lady is right’.

Imagine, she was a common lady - If it would have been a famous lady, the name of the lady would be mentioned in the Hadith.

Since the Hadith does not mention the name of the lady, we can understand that the lady was a common lady.

Means, even a common lady can object to the ‘Khalifa’, the head of the state.

And in technical terms it would be called that – ‘she is objecting to the breach of the constitution’,- because Qur’an is the constitution of the Muslims - That means a woman can even take part in law making.

Hadith Qudsi are the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) as revealed to him by the Almighty Allah. Hadith Qudsi (or Sacred Hadith) are so named because, unlike the majority of Hadith which are Prophetic Hadith, their authority (Sanad) is traced back not to the Prophet but to the Almighty.

Among the many definitions given by the early scholars to Sacred Hadith is that of as-Sayyid ash-Sharif al-Jurjani (died in 816 A.H.) in his lexicon At-Tarifat where he says: "A Sacred Hadith is, as to the meaning, from Allah the Almighty; as to the wording, it is from the messenger of Allah (PBUH). It is that which Allah the Almighty has communicated to His Prophet through revelation or in dream, and he, peace be upon him, has communicated it in his own words. Thus Qur'an is superior to it because, besides being revealed, it is His wording."

Hadith Qudsi 1:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

When Allah decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: My mercy prevails over my wrath.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).

Hadith Qudsi 2:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah Almighty has said: The son of Adam denied Me and he had no right to do so. And he reviled Me and he had no right to do so. As for his denying Me, it is his saying: He will not remake me as He made me at first (1) - and the initial creation [of him] is no easier for Me than remaking him. As for his reviling Me, it is his saying: Allah has taken to Himself a son, while I am the One, the Everlasting Refuge. I begot not nor was I begotten, and there is none comparable to Me.

(1) i.e., bring me back to life after death.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by an-Nasa'i).

Hadith Qudsi 3:On the authority of Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhaniyy (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led the morning prayer for us at al-Hudaybiyah following rainfall during the night. When the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished, he faced the people and said to them: Do you know what your Lord has said? They said: Allah and his Messenger know best. He said: This morning one of my servants became a believer in Me and one a disbeliever. As for him who said: We have been given rain by virtue of Allah and His mercy, that one is a believer in Me, a disbeliever in the stars (2); and as for him who said: We have been given rain by such-and-such a star, that one is a disbeliever in Me, a believer in the stars.

(2) The pre-Islamic Arabs believed that rain was brought about by the movement of stars. This Hadith draws attention to the fact that whatever be the direct cause of such natural phenomena as rain, it is Allah the Almighty who is the Disposer of all things.

It is related by al-Bukhari (also by Malik and an-Nasa'i).

Hadith Qudsi 4:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah said: Sons of Adam inveigh against [the vicissitudes of] Time, and I am Time, in My hand is the night and the day (1).

(1) As the Almighty is the Ordainer of all things, to inveigh aginst misfortunes that are part of Time is tantamount to inveighing against Him.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim).

Hadith Qudsi 5:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah (glorified and exalted be He) said:I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an associate. Thus he who does an action for someone else's sake as well as Mine will have that action renounced by Me to him whom he associated with Me.

It was related by Muslim (also by Ibn Majah).

Hadith Qudsi 6:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [ The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say: You have lied - you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Quran for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Quran that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.

It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i).

Hadith Qudsi 7:On the authority of Uqbah ibn Amir (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:Your Lord delights at a shepherd who, on the peak of a mountain crag, gives the call to prayer and prays. Then Allah (glorified and exalted be He) say: Look at this servant of Mine, he gives the call to prayer and performs the prayers; he is in awe of Me. I have forgiven My servant [his sins] and have admitted him to Paradise.

It was related by an-Nasa'i with a good chain of authorities.

Hadith Qudsi 8:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said: A prayer performed by someone who has not recited the Essence of the Quran (1) during it is deficient (and he repeated the word three times), incomplete. Someone said to Abu Hurayrah: [Even though] we are behind the imam? (2) He said: Recite it to yourself, for I have heard the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be up on him) say: Allah (mighty and sublime be He), had said: I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. When the servant says: Al-hamdu lillahi rabbi l-alamin (3), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has praised Me. And when he says: Ar-rahmani r-rahim (4), Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has extolled Me, and when he says: Maliki yawmi d-din (5), Allah says: My servant has glorified Me - and on one occasion He said: My servant has submitted to My power. And when he says: Iyyaka na budu wa iyyaka nasta in (6), He says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. And when he says: Ihdina s-sirata l- mustaqim, siratal ladhina an amta alayhim ghayril-maghdubi alayhim wa la d-dallin (7), He says: This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.

(7) "Guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favors, not of those against whom You are angry, nor of those who are astray".

It was related by Muslim (also by Malik, at-Tirmidhi, Abu-Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).

Hadith Qudsi 9:On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: The fist of his actions for which a servant of Allah will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayers. If they are in order, then he will have prospered and succeeded: and if they are wanting, then he will have failed and lost. If there is something defective in his obligatory prayers, the Lord (glorified and exalted be He) will say: See if My servant has any supererogatory prayers with which may be completed that which was defective in his obligatory prayers. Then the rest of his actions will be judged in like fashion.

It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Ahmad).

Hadith Qudsi 10:On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: Fasting is Mine and it I who give reward for it. [A man] gives up his sexual passion, his food and his drink for my sake. Fasting is like a shield, and he who fasts has two joys: a joy whin he breaks his fast and a joy when he meets his Lord. The change in the breath of the mouth of him who fasts is better in Allah's estimation than the smell of musk.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).

Hadith Qudsi 11:On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said: Spend (on charity), O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim).

Hadith Qudsi 12:On the authority of Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: A man from among those who were before you was called to account. Nothing in the way of good was found for him except that he used to have dealings with people and, being well-to-do, he would order his servants to let off the man in straitened circumstances [from repaying his debt]. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said that Allah said: We are worthier than you of that (of being so generous). Let him off.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari and an-Nasa'i).

Hadith Qudsi 13:On the authority of Adiyy ibn Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I was with the Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and there came to him two men: one of them was complaining of penury (being very poor), while the other was complaining of brigandry (robbery). The Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: As for brigandry, it will be but a short time before a caravan will [be able to] go out of Mecca without a guard. As for penury, the Hour (Day of Judgement) will not arrive before one of you takes his charity around without finding anyone to accept it from him. Then (1) one of you will surely stand before Allah, there being no screed between Him and him, nor an interpreter to translate for him. Then He will say to him: Did I not bring you wealth? And he will say: Yes. Then He will say: Did I not send to you a messenger? And he will say: Yes. And he will look to his right and will see nothing but Hell-fire, then he will look to his left and will see nothing but Hell-fire, so let each of you protect himself against Hell-fire, be it with even half a date - and if he finds it not, then with a kind word.

(1) i.e. at the time of the Hour. It was related by al-Bukhari.

Hadith Qudsi 14:On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said: Allah (glorified and exalted be He) has supernumerary angels who rove about seeking out gatherings in which Allah's name is being invoked: they sit with them and fold their wings round each other, fillin that which is between them and between the lowest heaven. When [the people in the gathering] depart, [the angels] ascend and rise up to heaven. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h.) said: Then Allah (mighty and sublime be He) asks them - [though] He is most knowing about them: From where have you come? And they say: We have come from some servants of Yours on Earth: they were glorifying You (Subhana llah), exalting you (Allahu akbar), witnessing that there is no god but You (La ilaha illa llah), praising You (Al-Hamdu lillah), and asking [favours] of You. He says: And what do they ask of Me? They say: They ask of You Your Paradise. He says: And have they seen My Paradise? They say: No, O Lord. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Paradise! They say: And they ask protection of You. He says: From what do they ask protection of Me? They say: From Your Hell-fire, O Lord. He says: And have they seen My Hell-fire? They say: NO. He says: And how would it be were they to have seen My Hell-fire: They say: And they ask for Your forgiveness. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: Then He says: I have forgiven them and I have bestowed upon them what they have asked for,and I have granted them sanctuary from that from which they asked protection. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: They say: O Lord, among then is So-and-so, a much sinning servant, who was merely passing by and sat down with them. He (the Prophet p.b.u.h) said: And He says: And to him [too] I have given forgiveness: he who sits with such people shall not suffer.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, at-Tirmidhi, and an-Nasa'i).

Hadith Qudsi 15:On the authority of Abu Harayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet (PBUH) said: Allah the Almighty said: I am as My servant thinks I am (1). I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assemble better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.

(1) Another possible rendering of the Arabic is: "I am as My servant expects Me to be". The meaning is that forgiveness and acceptance of repentance by the Almighty is subject to His servant truly believing that He is forgiving and merciful. However, not to accompany such belief with right action would be to mock the Almighty.

It was related by al-Buhkari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah).

Hadith Qudsi 16:On the authority of son of Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), among the sayings he related from his Lord (glorified and exalted be He) is that He said: Allah has written down the good deeds and the bad ones. Then He explained it [by saying that] he who has intended a good deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed, but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as from ten good deeds to seven hundred times, or many times over. But if he has intended a bad deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed, but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed.

It was related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Hadith Qudsi 17:On the authority of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH) is that among the sayings he relates from his Lord (may He be glorified) is that He said: O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you, O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you. O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you. O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and will not attain benefitting Me so as to benefit Me. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My kingdom in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more that a needle decreases the sea if put into it. O My servants, it is but your deeds that I reckon up for you and then recompense you for, so let him finds good praise Allah and let him who finds other that blame no one but himself.

It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah).

Hadith Qudsi 18:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) will say on the Day of Resurrection: O son of Adam, I fell ill and you visited Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so had fallen ill and you visited him not? Did you not know that had you visited him you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so asked you for food and you fed him not? Did you not know that had you fed him you would surely have found that (the reward for doing so) with Me? O son of Adam, I asked you to give Me to drink and you gave Me not to drink. He will say: O Lord, how should I give You to drink whin You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: My servant So-and-so asked you to give him to drink and you gave him not to drink. Had you given him to drink you would have surely found that with Me.

It was related by Muslim.

Hadith Qudsi 19:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said: Pride is my cloak and greatness My robe, and he who competes with Me in respect of either of them I shall cast into Hell-fire.

It was related by Abu Dawud (also by Ibn Majah and Ahmad) with sound chains of authority. This Hadith also appears in Muslim in another version.

Hadith Qudsi 20:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: The gates of Paradise will be opened on Mondays and on Thursdays, and every servant [of Allah] who associates nothing with Allah will be forgiven, except for the man who has a grudge against his brother. [About them] it will be said: Delay these two until they are reconciled; delay these two until they are reconciled.

Hadith Qudsi 21:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said that Allah the Almighty said: There are three (1) whose adversary I shall be on the Day of Resurrection: a man who has given his word by Me and has broken it; a man who has sold a free man (2) and has consumed the price; and a man who has hired a workman, has exacted his due in full from him and has not given him his wage.

(1) i.e. types of men.

(2) i.e. a man who has made a slave of another and has sold him.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Ibn Majah and Ahmad ibn Hanbal).

Hadith Qudsi 22:On the authority of Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:Let not any one of you belittle himself. They said: O Messenger of Allah, how can any one of us belittle himself? He said: He finds a matter concerning Allah about which he should say something, and he does not say [it], so Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says to him on the Day of Resurrection: What prevented you from saying something about such-and-such and such-and-such? He say: [It was] out of fear of people. Then He says: Rather it is I whom you should more properly fear.

It was related by Ibn Majah with a sound chain of authorities.

Hadith Qudsi 23:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection:Where are those who love one another through My glory? Today I shall give them shade in My shade, it being a day when there is no shade but My shade.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Malik).

Hadith Qudsi 24:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:If Allah has loved a servant [of His] He calls Gabriel (on whom be peace) and says: I love So-and-so, therefore love him. He (the Prophet pbuh) said: So Gabriel loves him. Then he (Gabriel) calls out in heaven, saying: Allah loves So-and-so, therefore love him. And the inhabitants of heaven love him. He (the Prophet pbuh) said: Then acceptance is established for him on earth. And if Allah has abhorred a servant [of His], He calls Gabriel and says: I abhor So-and-so, therefore abhor him. So Gabriel abhors him. Then Gabriel calls out to the inhabitants of heaven: Allah abhors So-and-so, therefore abhor him. He (the Prophet pbuh) said: So they abhor him, and abhorrence is established for him on earth.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, Malik, and at-Tirmidhi).

Hadith Qudsi 25:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said:Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him.

It was related by al-Bukhari.

Hadith Qudsi 26:On the authority of Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said: Truly of those devoted to Me the one I most favour is a believer who is of meagre means and much given to prayer, who has been particular in the worship of his Lord and has obeyed Him inwardly (1), who was obscure among people and not pointed our, and whose sustenance was just sufficient to provide for him yet he bore this patiently. Then the Prophet (pbuh) rapped his hand and said: Death will have come early to him, his mourners will have been few, his estate scant.

(1) i.e. he has not been ostentatious in his obedience.

It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ibn Majah). Its chain of authorities is sound.

Hadith Qudsi 27:On the authority of Masruq, who said: We asked Abdullah (i.e. Ibn Masud) about this verse: And do not regard those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead, rather are they alive with their Lord, being provided for (Quran Chapter 3 Verse 169). He said: We asked about that and the Prophet (pbuh) said: Their souls are in the insides of green birds having lanterns suspended from the Throne, roaming freely in Paradise where they please, then taking shelter in those lanterns. So their Lord cast a glance at them (1) and said: Do you wish for anything? They said: What shall we wish for when we roam freely in Paradise where we please? And thus did He do to them three times. When they say that they would not be spared from being asked [again], they said: O Lord, we would like for You to put back our souls into our bodies so that we might fight for Your sake once again. And when He saw that they were not in need of anything they were let be.

(1) i.e. at those who had been killed in the cause of Allah.

It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).

Hadith Qudsi 28:On the authority of Jundub ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: There was amongst those before you a man who had a wound. He was in [such] anguish that he took a knife and made with it a cut in his hand, and the blood did not cease to flow till he died. Allah the Almighty said: My servant has himself forestalled Me; I have forbidden him Paradise.

It was related by al-Bukhari.

Hadith Qudsi 29:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My faithful servant's reward from Me, if I have taken to Me his best friend from amongst the inhabitants of the world and he has then borne it patiently for My sake, shall be nothing less than Paradise.

It was related by al-Bukhari.

Hadith Qudsi 30:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said: If My servant likes to meet Me, I like to meet him; and if he dislikes to meet Me, I dislike to meet him. Prophetic explanation of this Sacred Hadith: He who likes to meet Allah, Allah likes to meet him; and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah dislikes to meet him. Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: O Prophet of Allah, is it because of the dislike of death, for all of us dislike death? The Prophet (pbuh) said: It is not so, but rather it is that when the believer is given news of Allah's mercy, His approval and His Paradise, he likes to meet Allah and Allah likes to meet him; but when the unbeliever is given news of Allah's punishment and His displeasure, he dislikes to meet Allah and Allah dislikes to meet him.

It was related by al-Bukhari and Malik. The Prophetic version is related by Muslim.

Hadith Qudsi 31:On the authority of Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) related: A man said: By Allah, Allah will not forgive So-and-so. At this Allah the Almighty said: Who is he who swears by Me that I will not forgive So-and-so? Verily I have forgiven So-and-so and have nullified your [own good] deeds (1) (or as he said [it]).

(1) A similar Hadith, which is given by Abu Dawud, indicates that the person referred to was a goldly man whose previous good deeds were brought to nought through presuming to declare that Allah would not forgive someone's bad deeds.

It was related by Muslim.

Hadith Qudsi 32:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: A man sinned greatly against himself, and when death came to him he charged his sons, saying: When I have died, burn me, then crush me and scatter [my ashes] into the sea, for, by Allah, if my Lord takes possession of me, He will punish me in a manner in which He has punished no one [else]. So they did that to him. Then He said to the earth: Produce what you have taken-and there he was! And He said to him: What induced you to do what you did? He said: Being afraid of You, O my Lord (or he said: Being frightened of You) and because of that He forgave him.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah).

Hadith Qudsi 33:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH), from among the things he reports from his Lord (mighty and sublime be He), is that he said: A servant [of Allah's] committed a sin and said: O Allah, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for them. Then he sinned again and said: O Lord, forgive me my sin. And He (glorified and exalted be He) said: My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for sins. Do what you wish, for I have forgiven you.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari).

Hadith Qudsi 34:On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: Allah the Almighty said: O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great at it.

It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Ahmad ibn Hanbal). Its chain of authorities is sound.

Hadith Qudsi 35:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Our Lord (glorified and exalted be He) descends each night to the earth's sky when there remains the final third of the night, and He says: Who is saying a prayer to Me that I may answer it? Who is asking something of Me that I may give it him? Who is asking forgiveness of Me that I may forgive him?

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud).

In a version by Muslim the Hadith ends with the words:

And thus He continues till [the light of] dawn shines.

Hadith Qudsi 36:On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (PBUH), who said: The believers will gather together on the Day of Resurrection and will say: Should we not ask [someone] to intercede for us with our Lord? So they will come to Adam and will say: You are the Father of mankind; Allah created you with His hand He made His angels bow down to you and He taught you the names of everything, so intercede for us with you Lord so that He may give us relief form this place where we are. And he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his wrongdoing and will feel ashamed and will say: Go to Noah, for he is the first messenger that Allah sent to the inhabitants of the earth. So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention his having requested something of his Lord about which he had no [proper] knowledge (Quran Chapter 11 Verses 45-46), and he will feel ashamed and will say: Go to the Friend of the Merciful (Abraham). So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Moses, a servant to whom Allah talked and to whom He gave the Torah. So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that] - and he will mention the talking of a life other that for a life (Quran Chapter 28 Verses 15-16), and he will fell ashamed in the sight of his Lord and will say: Go to Jesus, Allah's servant and messenger, Allah's word and spirit. So they will come to him and he will say: I am not in a position [to do that]. Go to Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), a servant to whom Allah has forgiven all his wrongdoing, past and future. So they will come to me and I shall set forth to ask permission to come to my Lord, and permission will be given, and when I shall see my Lord I shall prostrate myself. He will leave me thus for such time as it pleases Him, and then it will be said [to me]: Raise your head. Ask and it will be granted. Speak and it will be heard. Intercede and your intercession will be accepted. So I shall raise my head and praise Him with a form of praise that He will teach me. Then I shall intercede and HE will set me a limit [as to the number of people], so I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return to Him, and when I shall see my Lord [I shall bow down] as before. Then I shall intercede and He will set me a limit [as to the number of people]. So I shall admit them into Paradise. Then I shall return for a third time, then a fourth, and I shall say: There remains in Hell-fire only those whom the Quran has confined and who must be there for eternity. There shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a barley-corn; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing a grain of wheat; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said: There is no god but Allah and who has in his heart goodness weighing an atom.

It was related by al-Bukhari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah).

Hadith Qudsi 37:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah said: I have prepared for My righteous servants what no eye has seen and no ear has heard, not has it occurred to human heart. Thus recite if you wish (1): And no soul knows what joy for them (the inhabitants of Paradise) has been kept hidden (Quran Chapter 32 Verse 17).

(1) The words "Thus recite if you wish" are those of Abu Harayrah.

It was related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

Hadith Qudsi 38:On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: When Allah created Paradise and Hell-fire, He sent Gabriel to Paradise, saying: Look at it and at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants. The Prophet (pbuh) said: So he came to it and looked at it and at what Allah had prepared therein for its inhabitants. The Prophet (pbuh) said: So he returned to Him and said: By your glory, no one hears of it without entering it. So He ordered that it be encompassed by forms of hardship, and He said: Return to it and look at what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants. The Prophet (pbuh) said: So he returned to it and found that it was encompassed by forms of hardship (1). Then he returned to Him and said: By Your glory, I fear that no one will enter it. He said: Go to Hell-fire and look at it and what I have prepared therein for its inhabitants, and he fount that it was in layers, one above the other. Then he returned to Him and said: By Your glory, no one who hears of it will enter it. So He ordered that it be encompassed by lusts. Then He said: Return to it. And he returned to it and said: By Your glory, I am frightened that no one will escape from entering it.

(1) The Arabic word used here is "makarih", the literal meaning of which is "things that are disliked". In this context it refers to forms of religious discipline that man usually finds onerous.

It was related by Tirmidhi, who said that it was a good and sound Hadith (also by Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i).

Hadith Qudsi 39:On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Paradise and Hell-fire disputed together, and Hell-fire said: In me are the mighty and the haughty. Paradise said: In me are the weak and the poor. So Allah judged between them, [saying]: You are Paradise, My mercy; through you I show mercy to those I wish. And you are Hell-fire, My punishment; through you I punish those I wish, and it is incumbent upon Me that each of you shall have its fill.

It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari and at-Tirmidhi).

Hadith Qudsi 40:On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Allah will say to the inhabitant of Paradise: O inhabitants of Paradise! They will say: O our Lord, we present ourselves and are at Your pleasure, and goodness rests in Your hands. Then He will say: Are you contented? And they will say: And how should we not be contented, O Lord, when You have given to us that which You have given to no one else of Your creation? Then He will say: Would not like Me to give you something better than that? And they will say: O Lord and what thing is better than that? And He will say: I shall cause My favour to descend upon you and thereafter shall never be displeased with you.

He is `Abullah ibn `Uthman ibn `Amir ibn `Amr from a branch of the Quraysh tribe. His father, `Uthman, was known as Abu Quhafa. His mother, Salma, was also known as Umm Al-Khayr. From his early years, Abu Bakr was known for his good and upright nature. He was honest and truthful and came from a noble family. These things won him respect among the people. His goodness also won him the friendship of young Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The two became fast friends in early boyhood. The friendship was to prove lifelong and history making.

When he grew up, Abu Bakr became a rich merchant, but he remained very kindhearted. When he saw someone in trouble, his heart melted and he did his best to help him. If his money could remove suffering, he did not care how much he had to spend. Once he gave away 35 thousand dirhams out of his total fortune of 40 thousand. He was so honest in his dealings that people kept their money with him. But above all, Abu Bakr had a sincere heart and a firm will. Nothing could stop him from doing what he thought was the right thing to do.

When the Makkans were intent on putting out, once and for all, the light of Islam, Allah commanded the Prophet to move to Madinah. In the burning heat of the midday sun, there was a knock at Abu Bakr's door. The Messenger of Allah sought permission to enter, and after everyone else had left the room, he told Abu Bakr, "I must leave for Madinah tonight."

“Will I also have the honor of going with you?” asked Abu Bakr eagerly. “Of course,” came the reply. “Get things ready.”

Abu Bakr was beside himself with joy. “I have been looking forward to this day for months,” he exclaimed. "I have kept two camels specifically to carry us to Madinah.”

It was Abu Bakr who made all the arrangements for the historic journey. For three days he and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lay hidden in the cave of Thawr. Abu Bakr's slave tended flocks of goats near the cave all day and supplied them fresh milk for food. His son `Abdullah brought news about what the Makkans were doing.

The Makkans were searching for the Prophet like mad hounds. Once they came right to the mouth of the cave. Abu Bakr grew pale, fearing not for himself, but for the Prophet. However, the Prophet remained perfectly calm. "Do not fear," he said to Abu Bakr. "Certainly Allah is with us."

Of all the companions, Abu Bakr had the honor of being with the Prophet during the most critical days of his life. Abu Bakr knew full well what this honor meant and did full justice to the trust put in him.

After the Prophet’s death, Abu Bakr was chosen as the caliph. He served for only two years, three months, and ten days before he, too, passed away. During this short period, Abu Bakr was able to do great things for Islam that made his name immortal and placed him among the greatest men of all times.

The companions of the prophet (s.a.a.w) are the first generation of the Muslim Ummah that lived with the prophet (s.a.a.w). They received the message from the prophet and transmitted it to the following generations until it reached us. They were the best generation of this Ummah. The prophet (s.a.a.w) said about them, "The best generation of my Ummah are my companions and those who follow them ……." They are all udul. Allah, the Almighty, says "….and in this way, we have appointed you a middle nation…. ". The middle nation, here, means that they were udul. Among those companions was Abu Hurayrah. On this basis, we will shed light on the biography of this great companion, showing his companionship to the prophet (s.a.a.w), his continuous pursuit of knowledge, his piety, his degree of accuracy, his suffering while seeking knowledge and his efforts in transmitting the Ahadeeth of the prophet (s.a.a.w).

He was the diligent jurist and the companion of the prophet (s.a.a.w). His name is Abu Hurayrah Al-Dawsi Al-Yamani, the master of authentic memorizers. The scholars differed concerning his name and his father's name. The most correct opinion was the opinion upon which the scholars agree that his name is Abdual – Rahman ibn Sakhr. The prophet (saaw) named him Abduallah and nicknamed him Abu Hurayrah and he continued to be known as Abu Hurayrah, his mother was Maymouna Bint Subaih.[1]

Abu Hurayrah became a Muslim at the hands of at-Tufayl ibn Amr, the chieftain of the Dows tribe to which he belonged. When at-Tufayl returned to his village after meeting the prophet and becoming a Muslim in the early years of his mission, Abu Hurayrah was one of the first to respond to his call. When at-Tufayl visited Makkah again, Abu Hurayrah accompanied him. There, he had the honor of meeting the noble prophet.

Abu Hurayrah stayed in Tihamah for several years and it was only at the beginning of the seventh year of the Hijrah that he arrived in Madinah with others of his tribe. The prophet had gone on a campaign to Khaybar.

Abu Hurayrah stayed in the masjid with others of the Ahl as-suffah. He was single, without wife or child. With him was his mother, who was still a mushrik. He prayed for her to become a Muslim but she adamantly refused. One day, he invited her to have Faith in God alone and follow his prophet but she uttered some words concerning the prophet which saddened him greatly. With tears in his eyes, he went to the prophet who said to him: "what makes you cry, O Abu Hurayrah?" He said: "Today, I invited my mother to Islam and I heard words from her which I don’t like. Do make supplication to God Almighty to make the heart of Abu Hurayrah's mother incline to Islam."

The prophet prayed for her. Abu Hurayrah said: "I went home and found the door closed. I heard water splashing and when I tried to enter, my mother said: "stay where you are, O Abu Hurayrah. "And after putting on her clothes, she said, "Enter!" I entered and she said: "I testify that there is no God but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is his servant and his messenger." He returned to the prophet (saaw) weeping with joy, just as an hour before he had gone weeping from sadness and said: "O messenger of Allah, I have good news. God has responded to your prayer and guided the mother of Abu Hurayrah to Islam".[2]

He accompanied the prophet (saaw) for nearly four years. He loved the prophet a great deal and found favor with him. He was never tired of looking at the prophet whose face appeared to him as having all the radiance of the sun and he was never tired of listening to him. Often he would praise God for his good fortune and say: " Praise be to God who has guided Abu Hurayrah to Islam." "Praise be to Allah who taught Abu Hurayrah the Quran." "Praise be to God who has best- owed on Abu Hurayrah the companionship of Muhammad (saaw)." On reaching Madinah, Abu Hurayrah set his heart on attaining knowledge. Zayed Ibn Thabit, the notable companion of the prophet, reported: "While Abu Hurayrah and I and another friend of mine were in the masjid praying to God the Almighty, The messenger of God appeared. He came towards us and sat among us. We become silent and he said:" Carry on with what you were doing." So, my friend and I made a supplication to God before Abu Hurayrah did and the prophet began to say Ameen to our Dua. Then, Abu Hurayrah made a supplication saying: "O lord, I ask you for what my two companions have asked and I ask you for knowledge which will not be forgotten."

The prophet (saaw) said: "Ameen." We then said: "We ask Allah for knowledge which will not be forgotten, and the prophet replied". The Dawsi youth has asked for this before you."[3]

In his search for knowledge, Abu Hurayrah suffered much hardships and difficulties. He was often hungry and destitute. He said about himself: "When I was afflicted with sever hunger, I would go to a companion of the prophet and ask him about an ayah of the Quran and stayed with him learning it so that he would take me with him to his house and give food.[4]

With his intelligent memory, Abu Hurayrah set out to memorize in the four years that he spent with the prophet, the gems of wisdom that emanated from his lips. He realized that he had a great gift and he set about to use it to the full in the service of Islam. He had free time at his disposal. Unlike many of the muhajirin, he did not busy himself in the market-places, with buying and selling. Unlike many of the Ansar, he had no land to cultivate. He stayed with the prophet in Madinah and went with him on journeys and expeditions.[5]

Many companions get amazed at the number of hadiths he had memorized and often questioned him on when he had heard a certain hadith and under what circumstances. Talha ibn ubaid Allah said: "I don’t doubt that Abu Hurayrah heard form the prophet what we did not hear." He was one of the interpreters of among the companions.Abu Hurayrah said:"I memorized at the hands of the prophet two traditions. I released one of them and concealed the other. If I released it, my throat might be cut off." Once Marwan ibn Al-Hakam wanted to test his power of memory. He sat with him in one room and behind a curtain he placed ascribe, unknown to Abu Hurayrah, and ordered him to write down whatever Abu Hurayrah said. A year later, Marwan called Abu Hurayrah again and asked him to recall the same ahadith which the scribe had recorded. It was found that he had forgotten not a single word. Abi said Al-Khudari reported that the prophet (saaw) said :"Abu Huraynah is avessal of knowledge." Al Amash also narrated that Abi Salih said:"Abu Huragrah was the best memorizar among the companions." Moreover Abu Hurayrah said about himself:"I don’t know any one among the companions who is best in memorizing the hedeaths of the prophet other than me".[6]

Through his incomparable efforts, many of the prophet's hadiths were transmitted to later generations. He is the first name in the roll of hadeeth transmitters who tranmitted, according to Baqi b. Makhalad, 5374 hadith. The most recent research shows that the number of ahadith transmitted by him is 1236 only. He is reported to have had books of hadith in his possessions. At least nine of Abu Hurayrah's students wrote ahadith from him. According to Ibn al-Gauzi, there are 5374 ahadith transmitted by him in musnad Baqi and 3848 ahadith in the musnad of Ibn Hanbal. According to Ahmed shakir, after substracting repeated ahadith, there remain 1579 ahadith transmitted by Abu Hurairah. He observed and learnt some 15oo traditions within the period that he spent with the prophet which are amixture of verbal and practical sunnah. Hasan b. Amr al.Damari saw many books of ahadith in Abu Hurairah, Possessions. Abdeal-Aziz b.Marwan had almost all the ahadith of Abu Hurayrah in written from.[7]

Many comanions and tabiis narrated ahadith From him. Their number was nearly 800 companions and tabiis. Thay are mentioned in the books of the six Imams.

He was an accurate and trustworthy narrator. He transmitted ahadith from the prophet saying: "He who attends the funeral till the prayer is offered for (the dead), his is the reward of one Qirat, and he who attends till the dead is buried, for him is the reward of two Qirats." Abduallah b. umer asked him to be careful as to what he transmitted from the prophet, as he was transmitting too much. Then Abu Hurayrah took his hand and brought him to Aisha, who testified to the narration of Abu Hurairah. Later on Ibn Umar used to say "we lost many qararit. So, he was authentic in the transmittion of the Ahadith.[8]

The most accurate hadaeths are those narrated from Alzahri from Said Ibn Al-musayeb from Abu Hurayrah.The narration of Abi Al-Zynad from Al-Arag from Abu Hurayrah. The narration of ibn Auf and Ayub from Mohammad ibn sireen from Abu Hurayrah. He was mentioned in "Tabqat Al-Quran." He was also mentioned in "Tadhratul – Hufaz." Ibn umar once said to him: "O Abu Hurayrah, you are the most one amongst us who accompanied the prophet and the most acquainted one with the prophet hadiths."

He was known with piety in faith. It is reported that one day, he passed through the market of madinah and naturally saw people engrossed in the business of buying and selling. He said to them: "How feeble are you, the inheritance of the prophet (saaw) is being distributed and you remain here! Won't you go and take your portion."

They asked him: "Where" he said: "in the masjid." Quickly they left. Abu Hurayrah waited until they returned and they said to him: "We went to the masjid and entered and we did not see anything being distributed." He asked: "Did not you see anyone in the masjid?". O yes, we saw some people performing salat, some people reading the Quran, and some people discussing what is halal and what is haram." He said:"That is the inheritance of Muhammad (saaw). It is reported that he used to glorify Allah nearly 12000 times daily.

Much of his time would be spent in spiritual exercises and devotion to God. (Qiyam al-layl) staying up for the night in prayer, was a regular practice of his family. He would stay up for a third of the night, his wife for another third and his daughter for a third.In this way, in the house of Abu Hurayrah no hour of the night be spent without ibadah, dhikr and salah.

During the caliphate of umer, he was appointed as a governor of Bakrain. But umar (R.a.a) brought him and distributed his wealth. He thought that he had acquired the money through unlawful means. Throughout his life, he remained kind and courteous to his mother. He also encouraged other people to be kind and good to their parents. He once said to his daughter, "don’t wear the gold so that you may be saved from the flame of the fire." It was reported that Abu Hurayrah cried during his illness and he was asked why are you crying?" he said :"I don’t cry concerning leaving this life of the world, but concerning the long distance of my journey and the minority of my supplies and that l'll be exposed to the paradise and the Hellfire and I don’t know to where l'll be taken".

Finally, we can say that Muslims owe a debt of gratitude to Abu Hurayrah for helping to preserve and transmit the valuable legacy of the prophet (saaw) and transmitting the message to us. He died in the year 59 A.H. when he was seventy-eight years old and was buried at Al-Baqi (R.a.a).[9]